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Russia has dispatched its first shipment of wheat to Togo, food safety watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor has announced. The 27,000-ton consignment left Leningard region, having been inspected and certified by specialists. Rosselkhoznadzor has issued safety and quality certificates, as well as a quarantine phytosanitary condition report.
A total of 123,000 tons of wheat has been inspected for export at the branch, including other shipments destined for Nigeria.
Russia’s grain exports to Africa have seen significant growth in recent years. In December, Russia surpassed France as Morocco’s top grain supplier. Eduard Zernin, Chairman of the Russian Union of Grain Exporters, highlighted Africa’s rising demand for Russian grain, attributing it to high quality and competitive pricing of the produce.
Zernin said that “In the current 2024-25 season, Russian exports to Morocco and Nigeria have already increased significantly. Kenya, which is already one of the main importers of Russian grain, is also expanding its volumes.”
Statistics from the Russian Centre of Grain Quality Assurance show that wheat exports from Russia’s Krasnodar Region to 25 African nations grew by 14.4% between January and September 2024, totalling 14.8 million tonnes. The top five importers included Egypt (6.8 million tonnes), Algeria (1.3 million tonnes), Kenya (1.2 million tonnes), Libya (1.0 million tonnes), and Sudan (0.6 million tonnes). Exports to Gambia, Djibouti, and Ethiopia also resumed, highlighting sustained demand across the continent.
In April last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for a 50% increase in agricultural exports by 2030 compared to 2021 levels, which at that time totalled US$37 billion and indicating Russia’s agricultural exports will be worth US$55 billion. To compare, French agricultural exports, one of the major EU agricultural exporters, have been declining in value. In 2021, France exported around US$70 billion worth of agricultural products, but is expected to export around US$26.7 billion in value in 2025, with the loss of the Russian, African and related markets responsible.
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